BellaOnline Forums Food and Wine Wine Malolactic Fermentation

My favorite chardonnays go through malolactic fermentation. I believe (and please correct me if I'm wrong!) this means that the wine is aged in oak barrels and also metal barrels.

I find this produces a luscious, creamy, buttery-tasting wine. One of my favorites in this category is J. Lohr chardonnay.

Have any of you tasted it? Mmmmmmmmmmmm <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue2.gif" alt="" />

Don't confuse aging in oak barrels with malolactic fermentation - they are entirely separate and the fact that a wine has been aged in oak is no indication whether it has undergone malolactic fermentation .

Malolactic fermentation is a bacterial process (quite separate from alcoholic fermentation) where sharp malo acids are converted to softer lactic acids. Its trademark taste is a buttery flavor frequently found in California Chardonnays. Malolactic fermentation can happen naturally but these days is usually controlled by the winemaker, i.e either prevented or induced to produce the desired end flavor.

I've not tasted the wine you mention, but I have enjoyed other J Lohr wines.

Winemakers can get into heated debates on the benefits of barrel fermentation and barrel aging.

Here is an article with more information: Barrel Fermentation and Barrel Aging Wine